Killer accused's chilling two-word reply when asked if he murdered Brianna Ghey

06 December 2023 , 17:37

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Brianna, 16, who identified as female, was stabbed 28 times at Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, on February 11 this year (Image: MEN Media)

A trial has heard how the DNA and blood of Brianna Ghey was found on a shoe and knife, recovered from one of her accused murderer's homes - as he refused to comment when asked if he had killed her.

Brianna, 16, was a transgender girl who died after being stabbed 28 times in a park near Warrington earlier this year, jurors heard previously. The two defendants, both 16, were known in press reports as Girl X and Boy Y, and deny murder, The Manchester Evening News reports.

Girl X, from Culcheth, and Boy Y, from Leigh, cannot be named due to legal reasons. Brianna's body was identified by dog walkers in Linear Park in Culcheth at approximately 3pm on February 11.

She was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, back and chest, jurors have previously heard. On Wednesday morning, jurors heard evidence from forensic scientist Jane Roughley, who was given items which had been taken by police following Brianna's death and went on to visit the scene.

Transgender teenager Brianna Ghey (MEN Media)

Manchester Crown Court heard how blood at the scene was a "full match" with Brianna's DNA. In addition, a Dr Pepper bottle was found which had a mixed DNA profile with Girl X's DNA, and a bottle of Coca-Cola was located which had a "full DNA profile" matching Boy Y's DNA, the court heard.

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Ms Roughley also spoke of a "hunting knife" which police recovered from Boy Y's home, with "heavy contact blood staining" and "possible fatty tissue" around the "hilt area" of the knife. A DNA profile was identified which correlated with the DNA of Brianna, jurros stated.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said it is "at least one billion times more likely that the blood has come from her, than from somebody other than her". A DNA profile matching the DNA of Boy Y was found on the handle and on a 'sheath' of the knife, along with Brianna's DNA.

Brianna Ghey, 16, who identified as a transgender girl, who was stabbed to death at Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, on 11 February 2023 (MEN Media)

"It was calculated that the DNA profile was at least one billion times more likely, if the majority of the DNA had come from him [Boy Y] as opposed to someone other than him," Ms Heer said. "That's correct, yes," Ms Roughley replied.

When asked about her findings, Ms Roughley says: "One explanation was that Boy Y had used this knife to injure Brianna Ghey, and then subsequently cleaned it, leaving behind blood staining in areas not easily accessible." The court also heard how blood staining was found on a pair of trainers in Boy Y's bedroom, which had Brianna's DNA on.

Ms Roughley stated it would be "what you'd expect if that blood staining had originated from her". She said: "One explanation could be that Boy Y wore these trainers when in forceful direct contact, and in close proximity to a source of airborne blood from Brianna Ghey when she was injured."

Brianna Ghey was seen on Ring doorbell camera footage leaving her home in Birchwood, Warrington, less than three hours before she was stabbed to death (Cheshire Police)

When asked why she described it as "forceful" contact, Ms Roughley said the blood had found its way into a "gap" or "recess" of the trainer. It was Wednesday morning when jurors heard the conclusion of evidence from Boy Y's police interview following Brianna's death.

The video interview was played to Manchester Crown Court and police claimed that Boy Y had been "planning" and "conspiring" to kill Brianna with Girl X. Allegedly they had talked about ways to "poison" Brianna, including that he told her to "mix ibuprofen gel in a McDonald's milkshake".

When asked to explain, he said: "Girl X asks me about ways to kill. I know that some things are more dangerous, so I just told her about that. I don't actually think that she'd ever go out and buy any of this.

Brianna Ghey boarding a bus to Culcheth hours before she was stabbed to death (Cheshire Police)

"From what I knew of her, I never saw her as a person to go out and actually put stuff in people's drinks, to kill them. I just thought she was messing about."

Boy Y was asked about the messages in which he supposedly said he had a knife that would be "sharp enough to kill Brianna". He said: "I knew that it could cut through my skin, so if it could cut through my skin, she would...that it could cut through someone else's."

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When asked to explain why he was discussing the "disposal of another human being's body", he said: "Just...was trying to go along with what Girl X wants, because I don't want to make her think that I'm not...I don't really want to...understand...explain like how I want to be seen by other people."

Brianna Ghey had notes about serial killers including Harold Shipman in her bedroom, a jury has heard (MEN Media)

When asked to explain saying that they needed a "code word" to "get the knife ready" and a "code word to stab Brianna", Boy Y replied: "I wanted Girl X to think that I was with her. I wanted to make....think that I was a part of her. I don't like the thought of being excluded from situations."

Boy Y had previously said that, when Brianna was killed, he had gone to a tree to urinate and when he turned around he saw his co-accused stabbing Brianna to death. But in the interview, the officer claimed that Boy Y and Girl X had "actively made arrangements' to meet while 'armed with weapons...with the sole purpose of murdering this young girl".

"I never tried to murder anyone, it goes against everything I already know and believe, everything," Boy Y said. The officer asked him: "We've recovered a weapon that we believe was used to murder Brianna and the weapon that we've seized is a hunting style knife similar to what you described on your interview earlier, can you account for that?"

Police at Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, where a teenager was stabbed to death on 11 February 2023 (MEN Media)

"When I got home and washed my hands and everything because I was panicking and screaming and touching the knife, to try and calm myself down and scraping it along my hands," Boy Y said.

At the end of the interview, he was asked: "Are you responsible for murdering Brianna?" "No comment," he replied.

The trial continues.

Andrew Bardsley